ancient sages; wise men of the past
Refers to great thinkers and philosophers from earlier times, often in a respectful or scholarly context.
先哲の教えに学ぶことは多い。
There is much to learn from the teachings of the ancient sages.
From 先 (previous, earlier) and 哲 (wisdom, philosophy). The combination straightforwardly means 'wise ones of the past'.